my mom was just diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, it's in her lungs and brain & is at stage four. What are her chances of survival??
Cancer - 5 Answers
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1 :
I'm very sorry to hear that, but I'm sure the doctor probably gave her less than 3 months survival but probably wouldn't tell you! Small cell with metastasis to the brain is terminal. Even with chemo and radiation. Small undifferentiated cell in any organ = poor survival! Hopefully she is still well enough to do something she always wanted to do!
2 :
Stage 4 is the last stage of cancer you can have and is not good. I'm sure her doctors have made some recommendations to her about possible treatment options. She now has to decide about quality of life issues and whether she wants to go ahead with those treatments. I'm sorry you both will be going through this terrible turn of events.
3 :
Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options. The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following: The stage of the cancer (whether it is in the chest cavity only or has spread to other places in the body). The patient’s gender and general health. The blood level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a substance found in the blood that may indicate cancer when the level is higher than normal. Stage 4 Stage 4 is the most advanced stage, where the cancer has spread. Understandably, the survival statistics are lowest for this stage. Unfortunately, lung cancer is often diagnosed late. Almost half of all those diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer already have stage 4 disease. People diagnosed at this stage are mostly treated with chemotherapy to relieve symptoms. Between 15 and 35 out of every 100 people (15 - 35%) treated for stage 4 lung cancer will be alive a year later. For those not fit enough to have chemotherapy treatment, this figure drops to about 10 out of every 100 people (10%). On average, only about 2 out of every 100 people (2%) diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer would be alive 5 years later.
4 :
Very sorry to hear that. The most important thing for you now is to be supportive of mom, depends on what course of treatment they want to work with, if any. They may or may not offer treatment options. Treatments may or may not work at this stage. Those can be hard on the patient. Then it gets into quality of life concerns. If your mom is told they will not do any more treatment, then it's about making her as comfortable as possible. Regardless, make time to be able to spend as much time as you can with her. Do what you can for her. Settle what you can with her while you can. Tell her how much you love her, and how much you appreciate all she is to you. The most important thing for her is hope for as long as possible. Hope will help her fight, and will to live counts for a lot. Each case is different. Lance Armstrong beat all the odds. Hope her case is one of those. But, if not, your support will mean so much. The more you can be there for her, the easier it will be. My mother had lung cancer also. Stage 4. She had chemo, things looked better for awhile, but she lost the battle unexpectedly. I only mention her to say this: Every journey is different. The odds are not good. But her medical team will explain the situation. Take this seriously. Spend all the time you can, so that you have no regrets.
5 :
I'm so very sorry about your mom's diagnosis. It's always good to be hopeful, my dad was one of the 2% that survived 5 years after diagnosis, so we were blessed. But you also must be realistic, discuss this with her and her doctor. See what her oncologist believes would be the best and most humane treatment. Sometimes chemo and/or radiation can prolong life and improve quality. Sometimes it can't. Please take care.
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